Business leaders celebrate MK50 in style

Milton Keynes’ business community celebrated the city’s 50th birthday at the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards 2017.

Now in its fourth year, MKBAA is THE biggest annual business gathering in the region with more than 600 guests recognising the best of MK business at the DoubleTree Hotel in March.

Dr Philip Smith MBE, chair MK Business Leaders Partnership which organised the event in association with full service agency Interdirect and event management experts Evolution, said: “Each year we aim to offer something different at MKBAA and for Milton Keynes’ 50th birthday year we also delivered something special.

“MK50 was the theme and we were honoured to welcome some of the original MK ‘Pioneers’ who designed, built and supported the city in its early years. Our guest compere was Gail Emms MBE, medal winning badminton player and Milton Keynes resident, and winners received a trophy containing an archive newspaper dated January 23, 1967 – the day MK was born.

“We also named former High Sheriff Francesca Skelton as the recipient of the MKBAA Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the MK business community and the Business of the Year for 2017 was Marshall Amplification, a brand that in half a century has put Milton Keynes on the world music map.

“With net proceeds from the event going to an MK Community Foundation fund encouraging social enterprise and entrepreneurship locally, MK BAA 2017 was a truly fitting way for the business community to mark MK50,” said Philip.